


I Won't Be Left Behind

by last-time-travel (Panadopolis)



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Curious Village Spoilers, Gen, Unwound Future, Unwound Future Spoilers, but probably best to have beat the game just to be safe, it's more like a "only spoilers if you know it's spoilers" deal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26531428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panadopolis/pseuds/last-time-travel
Summary: Flora is enjoying her chance at adventure in Future London, but can't help but feel unsetted over something...Takes place during the professor's absence in Chapter 9.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	I Won't Be Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to try writing something from Flora's perspective.
> 
> I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - definitely offers a very different look at the events of Unwound Future compared to what I usually write.
> 
> Partly inspired from this (spoilery!) post: https://replayingufhd.tumblr.com/post/623687391288459264

“Where’s the professor?”

The two Lukes looked dumbfounded, silently puzzling out how the professor could have just vanished on them.

Flora, however, prided herself on remaining calm. The professor must have trusted that they could take care of themselves for a while, and would surely be back soon. After all, that was what a gentleman did.

She couldn’t help but giggle at Little Luke’s face. He had the same dismayed expression as Matthew did whenever Claudia left muddy footprints through the foyer.

“Poor little Luke! You’re just lost without him, aren’t you?”

“Y-you’re a fine one to talk!” Luke snapped back, face flush in embarrassment. ~~  
~~

Even Big Luke seemed puzzled and aimless, not quite sure how to act in the professor’s absence.

She was, frankly, disappointed in them. They’d known the professor for far more years than she had, surely they’d been left alone before.

She’d long ago learned to never take anyone for granted. The professor was a comforting figure in her life, just like Papa-

And it only reminded her of how easy it was for your loved ones to slip away.

Big Luke’s voice jolted her from her thoughts. “Oh, the professor’s left a note for us – err, or _on_ us, I suppose.”

He tugged at Flora’s back. With a blush, she realized someone taped a note there.

It was courteous of the professor to leave a note for them, but did he have to leave it on her back? (How embarrassing! How disgraceful!)

Big Luke leaned over her, scanning the note. “It’s in the professor’s handwriting. Let me see… Ah, seems the professor’s sending us on ahead. Let’s keep heading to the Towering Pagoda, everyone.”

Despite herself, Flora smiled. This was so exciting! Finally she got to go on an adventure – this was her chance to show the professor she was every bit as worthy an apprentice as Luke.

And, truth be told, she was looking forward to the chance to explore without the professor constantly at her side. Really, he acted like she'd fall over and crack like an eggshell if she ever left his sight.

Still, the Towering Pagoda did sound scary. It certainly _looked_ the part, looming over Chinatown like her old gloomy tower, only far more dark and sinister.

But it sounded exciting, too. Bursting into the bad guy’s headquarters was the kind of adventure she’d never had in St. Mystere, the ones that called out to her from the pages of her dog-eared books, the ones she craved for.

Once someone took this paper off her, of course.

*

As the Pagoda got ever closer on the horizon, the colourful storefronts of Chinatown fell away. In their place were huge, somewhat shabby buildings.

“What is this place?” she piped up.

“This is the warehouse district,” Big Luke said. To her pleasant surprise, he didn’t sound displeased at all, and seemed to genuinely enjoy satisfying Flora’s curiosity. “It’s where the Layton of my time stores his… ah, supplies.”

“Oh, what kind of supplies?”

“Well… I confess I’ve never been inside, and it seemed rather - let’s say impudent to make inquiries. But I assume there’s materials for construction, and perhaps storage for his time machine project, and-”

“Would you keep it down?” Little Luke interrupted, voice hushed. “We’re trying to be sneaky! Stop pestering me so much, Flora!”

"I wasn't even talking to you," she countered.

"The big me's still me! Stop bugging him!"

 _“He_ didn't seem to mind. And I was just curious - is asking some questions really such a problem?”

“It is when we’re in the bad guy’s territory!”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, _pardon me_ for not knowing proper adventure etiquette.” Her tone was considerably less polite than her words. “You see, _I’ve_ never got to go on adventures before, except that time I got _left behind_ in a _haystack_ , while _you-”_

“Would you two stop fighting?” Big Luke cut in.

They both glanced up at him, surprised by his harsh tone. They were more used to the professor's gentle chidings of “Now, a true gentleman never fights with a lady.”

“She started it!” Luke snapped.

“I don’t _care_ who started it! Just shut- be quiet until we get to the Pagoda.”

_“And just what're you lot doing back here?”_

All three of them flinched at the booming voice.

It belonged to a dark-suited man leering at them from up the road. And yet, his appearance was hardly frightening: a bushy moustache and sideburns, poofy hair that looked like an undercooked pastry with too many lumps, a round red nose, little round eyes that bulged out of his head.

That face seemed familiar, though at the moment Flora couldn’t quite place it.

Big Luke certainly wasn’t intimidated. “We’re expected at the Pagoda, though really it’s none of your business.” His eyes narrowed as he stared down the stranger. “Now, if you’ll run along and do your boorish brute act somewhere else, we’ll be on our way.”

The ’boorish brute’ let out a rather rude snort. “Well, I never- Why, it’s you! The blue-capped hooligan! Rumour is yer the one that busted up our casino!” He shook a fist. “Yer gonna pay for that!”

Casino? She’d never seen one before, but from what she'd heard they were those fancy places where people with lots of money went to gamble. She couldn’t see the point, but it would be nice to at least see one.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Bug Luke’s lips curled into a sneer. “I’m afraid I don’t quite have the smarts to shoot up an entire casino in such spectacular and wasteful fashion.”

A shootout? Neither the Lukes nor the professor had said anything about _that._ She really wished the professor would stop leaving out all the exciting and dangerous bits of his adventures. She _had_ read adventure books before, she wasn't so delicate as to faint at the mention of a gun.

“But, suppose I was.” Big Luke rubbed his chin. “Just what are you planning to do about it?”

Little Luke’s mouth was agape. Flora could practically read his mind: “Whoa, he’s so cool!”

 _“Planning?”_ The man’s face blubbered all over, and his entire body shook and trembled. He looked like Pauly about to launch into one of his daily diatribes. “Oh, I’m planning all kinds of something! Starting wi’ one of Shmelmey’s knuckle sandwiches right to yer pretty little face!”

Shmelmey? What a funny-sounding name. Would anyone really name their child something so close to ‘smelly’?

No, wait… she recognized that name, and this man’s face as well. Those were the two men that had guarded the gate to Chinatown, until Big Luke had the marvellous idea to frighten them off with a parrot!

Whatever semblance of a threat the man had instantly dissolved in her mind.

“Oh, is that the tall brute with the other half of your brain?” Big Luke drawled. “Sorry to say, but he’s not here now.”

“Well, I’ll be-” The man desperately glanced around, waving his arms all the while. “Ol’ Shmelmey’ll give yer knuckle sandwich as soon as he’s back from the loo!”

“Duly noted. Do tell him to wash his hands first.”

“Why, you – he’ll wipe the smirk off your face an’ squish you like a bug an’-”

“Are you _quite_ finished? Your boss is expecting us over at the Pagoda. I’m sure you know better than us how much he hates to be kept waiting.” With that, Big Luke stalked past the figure.

“Hey, wait! You’re not gonna get off that easily! I’m gonna – er – crush you wi' this beatdown of a puzzle!"

Big Luke turned his head, cocking an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah! So hard it’ll make you cry uncle!” He dug around in his pockets. “Just gimme a moment while I pull it-”

“How about not?” Big Luke turned away and continued down the road. “Come along, you two. We’ve wasted enough time on this dunderhead’s antics.”

Little Luke ran to catch up with his older self, passing right by the man's angry fist shakes and frenzied yells.

She, too, hurried past him, though she felt a bit sorry for the man. But only a bit.

*

“That was awesome!” Luke cheered once they were safely at the doors to the Pagoda. “Cor, you really showed him what-for! You weren’t scared of him or anything!”

“There was nothing to be afraid of,” said Big Luke. “He’s just your usual brand of bully – talks a big game, but stand up to them and they fall like a house of cards."

"Wow! The Family doesn’t seem nearly so scary now, with _you_ around!”

Big Luke fiddled with his hat. “Well, I can’t let them pick on the younger me now, can I?"

But Flora didn’t feel nearly as enthusiastic as Luke was. She was awed by Big Luke's bravado, same as him, but… something seemed wrong. She could hardly reconcile the excited boy in front of her with the tall stranger he had become.

Time changed people, of course, and so did hardship. She had watched Mama wilt before her eyes, and remembered the dark cloud of grief that settled over Papa before he too went to an early grave.

Even her beloved villagers had grown over time, their basic pre-programmed routines developing into full-fledged personalities and unique quirks.

But could 10 years change so much in a person, make him nearly unrecognizable?

The _appearance_ matched, of course. Big Luke looked quite like what she imagined Luke would grow up to be like.

And yet… would Luke really be so quick to pass up a chance at a puzzle, even if it _was_ offered by a rather unsavory man? Could he look so smug as he tossed about insults? (The Luke she knew was so kind and courteous - though she’d overheard him say the occasional unkind word about Don Paolo, she doubted Luke had the gumpton to repeat them to the ruffian's face.)

Could 10 years have made Luke so… cruel?

“Oh, what’s wrong, Flora?” Big Luke’s face was soft and gentle as he peered at her in concern, but she wasn’t so quick to forget the sneer and glare that had been there minutes before. “You seem lost in thought - did that nasty brute frighten you so?”

“Oh, no,” she said quickly, “you dealt with him far too cleverly for that. It’s just, well…” she took a breath, “did you have to be so _mean_ about it?”

Big Luke’s eyes widened in surprise.

He opened his mouth to reply-

“He was the bad guy!” Luke interrupted. “You saw him! _He_ was the meanie!”

“Yes, but…” Mama had wanted her to be a lady, and to be considerate of other’s feelings. Failing that, her mother offered the mantra “if you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. (Adrea could certainly use that advice!)

“Did you have to call him half a brain? That was just being rude.”

“I can’t stand bullies,” Big Luke responded icily.

“But-”

“Enough.” He turned away, indicating the conversation was over.

What had happened to harden Luke so? There was hardly any trace of the friendly, cheerful boy she knew.

In his place was someone who was almost… frightening.

She shook her head. Now she was just being silly. Big Luke was here to protect them, to keep them safe. Even if he seemed so different, he was still her friend. He’d never do anything to hurt her.

There was no need to feel frightened.

Still, Flora was glad when she saw the professor hurrying up the street.


End file.
